Why Dan Hurley ultimately decided he couldn’t leave UConn for the Lakers

STORRS, Conn. — Dan Hurley was tempted by the Los Angeles Lakers’ organization and the head coaching opportunity he was presented, but there were ultimately too many reasons to stay in Connecticut.

Still weighing his options on Sunday, Hurley made a call to Alex Karaban, the forward he’d just convinced a week earlier to turn down guaranteed money in the NBA Draft and stay as a leader in Storrs. Hurley wanted to make sure the team was in a good head space after abruptly hearing the news, but he also summoned advice.

“It was an open conversation,” said Karaban, who was playing NBA 2k, the basketball video game, when his phone rang. “We were open about everything. He was open about how he was feeling, he still wasn’t decided yet. I just told him, ‘Whatever you do, I’m going to be happy for you. Don’t make your decision based off me or anybody in the locker room because everyone wants you to consider and take the job if you choose to.’”

Hurley didn’t take the six-year, $70 million contract offer, or Karaban’s advice.

He couldn’t get the faces from last Thursday’s team meeting, when he confirmed hours after it was reported that he was considering the job, out of his head.

“When I talked to them on Thursday to tell them I was gonna consider it and go out there and take on the process, I didn’t like the faces that looked at me,” Hurley said Thursday. “There’s images of things that will always be embedded in your mind, and just sharing that initial news, I didn’t like the way they looked at me when I told them I was gonna consider it. I’ve enjoyed their faces since Monday better.”

The only reaction to the news that might’ve been worse than what he saw that morning came from his wife, Andrea, whose desire to stay in the Northeast was what he pointed to as he laughed off the potential opportunity to take the Kentucky job in April.

“She was angry,” he said. “Anger turned to tears. She wasn’t happy about it because we all love it here. When you love it and you’re so happy, you don’t want that type of disruption, especially one that’s special like the Lakers.”

He consulted the rest of his family as well, sitting down with his sons, Danny and Andrew, and talking with his parents and his brother, Bobby, throughout the weekend. All of them wanted him to stay.

But when the Lakers call, it’s in a coach’s best interest to listen.

The chance to lead that franchise and one of the game’s greatest players in LeBron James, who did have some communication with Hurley and gave his approval over text, was appealing. But ultimately, it was too soon to leave the program he resuscitated from a 16-17 record in his first season to the 68-11 record over the last two years, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contend for three NCAA championships in a row.